Chenoa residents cry fowl

If the information provided to commissioners of the city of Chenoa is any indication, there are people within that community who are looking to be like some of the big cities.

But that is not their intention. All these people want to do is be able to have chickens within the city limits. This matter was discussed at Monday’s city council meeting.

Nikki Jackson, a resident of the city, spoke before the council regarding a desire to get an ordinance allowing possession of chickens within the city limits. She is not one of the residents currently said to have chickens and/or ducks within the city limits.

“I called the city and asked if I could have chickens,” Jackson said after the meeting. “They said ‘no’ and I said, ‘OK, what can I do to change that.’”

Jackson provided the council with information supporting her cause. There were also supporters in the audience.

“I just made up a 20-page pamphlet that explains different towns in Illinois and their laws,” Jackson said of the material she provided the council. “I had some frequently asked questions that were just normal objections people had to having chickens in town and I answered those with answers I had done research with online.”

After briefly going over the material, City Attorney Al Freehill said it appears that many communities are allowing chickens to be owned within city limits, including Chicago and as close as Normal.

The subject had been discussed before Monday. Commissioner Gary Dreher, who was absent from the meeting, has chickens on his property and has been a proponent for changing the city code to allow for chickens and ducks.

Freehill had a copy of Normal’s ordinance regarding chickens. He also pointed out that none of the cities that allow chickens allow roosters. Also, only Normal requires a permit. Freehill suggested Chenoa not use permits.

A concern of Mayor Don Corrie was the number. He asked Jackson how many she thought would be good and she responded with 6-to-8. Ed Straw suggested no more than six.

“Everybody is getting back to a more sustainable lifestyle,” Jackson told the council. “What can we do for ourselves? Can we grow our own food, can we provide for our own families and, … when it comes to the government stepping in between what we can do, then the question is why is there an ordinance there that (steps) between.”

Room in town should not be an issue with a limited number of chickens. Jackson pointed out that 3 square feet is all that is needed to prevent overcrowding.

Cheryl Stevens, a Chenoa resident, said, “Bigger cities and smaller communities are now allowing it. I think the economy may be part of it, but another part is they want a healthier (lifestyle).”

Page 2 of 2 - Although Corrie asked the three commissioners present if they approved of allowing chickens, the matter was tabled until an ordinance could be drawn up.

Jackson discussed her views on having chickens after the meeting.

“We’re all trying to live a healthier lifestyle,” she said. “I’ve got three kids, I’m trying to feed them well and on a budget. This is one step in that direction. If you go out and want to buy this kind of egg from a free-range chicken, it is between $4 and $5 a carton.”

As for those in the audience who seemed to be in disagreement, Jackson said, “I think a lot of the anti-chicken comes from the older generation that views it as dirty and something that belongs in the country. People are coming around all over America and changing their minds on that and saying, ‘what can we do to provide for ourselves and provide for our family?’”

An issue regarding a bill payment was raised before the minutes of three meetings and bills were approved at the beginning of the meeting.

Commissioner Don Schultheis asked where the money to pay for a special investigator was coming from. City Treasurer Phil Harland told him that Curtis Marshall was hired as a part-time employee for the police department.

Schultheis questioned that hiring.

“There are some times in a police investigation that we don’t want anybody to know that there is an internal investigation going on,” Corrie said in response to Schultheis. “So, if we don’t let people know that we have a part-time investigator doing some investigating, then we don’t have to answer questions.

“I handled that with Al and we both said that’s the way it was going to be handled.”

Freehill pointed out that state statute says that subordinate members of a department are hired by the commissioner in charge. In this case, it was Corrie because he is currently in charge of the police department.

Trick-or-treating hours for Halloween were set at 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31.